White Knight
by GeneHarlow
Summary: After storming out of her house, buying new clothes and having her vodka-fuelled breakdown, a fragile Norma calls Alex at 2:04am for a ride home... "It's only a walk of shame if you're ashamed."


(Little note: Pretend Alex never got shot.)

"Fucking men... All the same..."

Alex frowned into the darkness, wondering if he was dreaming or not. He glanced over at his clock. 2:04am.

"Hello?" He said again, as the quiet, slurring voice on the other end continued ranting, barely audible, off on some rant against his whole gender.

"Alex?" She sounded vaguely surprised to hear his voice, though she had called him.

"Yeah. Who is this?" He knew who it was. Who else would be calling him at 2:04am, but he asked all the same because it seemed like the expected thing to do.

"It's Norma." She said, in a small voice. "Boy, have I had a night!" She slurred at him, and he could make out the sounds of the city in the background, traffic and the sounds of the outdoors filtering through to him. He pulled his phone back, checking the caller ID, frowning when her name didn't show up.

"Where are you calling from? Where's your phone?" He sat up groggily, scrubbing his hand through his hair, frowning into the gloom.

"I shot it." She said, with a wild little giggle.

"You shot it?" There was no reply, just a slight sniffling sound and a hiccup.

"Norma, where are you?" He said, sitting up a little straighter, feeling a vague sense of unease setting in.

"Oh. I'm just in the parking lot. My new friend took me out here."

He was instantly completely awake, his mouth flapping open, not knowing what to say without sounding like a jealous wreck.

"New friend?" He eventually ground out through gritted teeth.

"Mm hmm." She murmured groggily. "He wasn't very nice to me." She said mildly, tutting unhappily, and Alex was already up, out of bed, pulling his jeans on with one hand, the other keeping the phone pressed to his ear.

"What did he do?" He asked, terrified as she sniffled quietly as her only response. "Norma? Norma?! What did he do to you?"

"What? Oh.. Nothing." She sounded far away and there was a clattering sound, and a string of muffled curse words, before her voice returned.

"Oof! I sat down." She announced simply, and he got the feeling it had been 90% falling.

"Norma? Listen-"

"He kissed me." She sighed out, and he froze, one shoe in hand, listening for her next words like his life depended on it. "And... And..." She hiccuped.

"And?" He prompted, struggling to pull his shirt on with one hand. "Norma, listen! Focus!"

"I would have banged my head on the steering wheel!" She protested suddenly, and he had no idea what she was talking about, but he knew he didn't like it.

"Norma? Listen to me. I'm coming to get you. Where are you?"

"I dunno." She said incredulously, like he was being ridiculous for asking. Like he should just know.

"Look around. Look for a street sign, or the name of the bar."

"Rafferty's." She read slowly, like a child and he was already flipping his laptop open, typing in the name on google maps, glancing around for his keys at the same time.

"Ok." He said, relief flooding through him. It wasn't far. "Ok. I'm gonna come get you. Stay where you are-"

He was cut off by a sudden gasp and a "Omg hey!" that sounded like it wasn't directed at him. He pressed the phone closer to his ear, straining to hear as she clearly dropped the phone away from her mouth, the voices on the other end sounding faint and distant.

"Well hey there, darlin'. What are you doin on the floor?" A stranger's voice rang out down the phone line and Alex tensed, already hating this man who seemed to know Norma.

"I don't wanna talk to you." His heart swelled with pride for all of about 4 seconds, before her defiant tone was cut off by a drunken giggle.

"Aw, but I wanted to say how sorry I was about before. I went to the mini mart. Got us a coupla 40's? How about it darlin?"

Alex froze, caught between wanting to speed towards where he knew she was, and desperately wanting to hear the rest of this muffled, distant conversation. He knew he hated this guy, without ever meeting him.

"Well..." Norma started and he desperately wanted her to tell this guy to screw off, like she always did. That was sober Norma though.

"Please, honey? I'm real sorry."

There was the quiet sound of paper bags rustling and he could just imagine this sleazy guy, standing over Norma on the floor of the pay phone, holding out two forty's wrapped in paper bags, trying to tempt one of the classiest women he knew to drink brown-bagged alcohol in a parking lot.

"Who ya talking to, anyway?"

"This? Oh." There was a rustling sound and he could tell she only just remembered she was still holding the phone. "I called my fiance."

Alex nearly dropped the phone in shock, gripping his car keys hard enough to bite into his palm.

"The one you left at the altar?" The man chuckled. "Oh boy. So you're gonna need the drink then?"

Norma giggled drunkenly, and Alex frowned at the little blue tag on his google maps screen, staring at it like he could will himself there right now.

"Well..." She started, her voice sing-songey. "I was thinking maybe we could work it out-"

"Awww no. See-" Alex frowned at the sounds of rustling and shuffling and little giggles from the other end of the line, and suddenly the man's voice was much louder and he guessed he had pulled the stumbling Norma to her feet. "I got a vested interest in you guys NOT working it out-"

He opened his mouth, hoping he would now he close enough to be heard, preparing to interject, when there was a sudden shrill beeping and then the dial tone and his mouth flapped open and close wordlessly, cursing her for not putting more quarters into the pay phone. He suddenly burst into action, annoyed with himself for being more interested in eavesdropping on her conversation with the romantic stranger than in her safety, allowing himself to get caught up in listening.

The drive there was a blur, as Alex sped along at a pace that was neither safe nor reasonable, eventually turning on the lights and sirens after he ran yet another red light. He felt ridiculous, abusing his police power to go pick up some drunk girl who was probably having a great time without him. He wasn't sure which would be a better scenario - Her, completely fine and safe, having a great time with the mystery lothario, drinking 40's and... having fun somewhere, or, the alternative. His mind flicked through the worst case scenarios, making the car lurch forward again.

He swung into the parking lot of Rafferty's at a genuinely dangerous pace, his guilt at his driving instantly justified when he saw nothing and no-one moving in the darkened car park. He parked his car, his eyes scanning back and forth desperately looking for any sign of movement. There were a handful of cars parked but they were dark and empty, clearly the abandoned vehicles of drunks who had had too much to drive home.

He tried her cell again, frowning when he received her succinct, polite voicemail message for the thousandth time, starting to believe that she really had shot her phone. God.

He threw open his door, throwing himself out of his car and casting wildly around the parking lot, looking for any signs of her, finding none. He stalked over to the pay phone, frowning at the phone swinging slightly from the body of the phone, his mind flooding with a hundred reasons she might have left it like that. He hated every single one of them, and he lightly punched the wall of the phone booth, before replacing the phone on the wall without thinking.

The silence in the car park was deafening, his own heart thumping loudly in his ears as his worry consumed him, before there was a giggle from nearby and his ears pricked, gasping at the sound. Immediately, he was moving, heading towards where he had heard the sound from, gasping when he heard the sound of a bottle dropping to the floor, the crashing seeming overly loud in the silence of the night.

"Oh my god!" Norma's voice shrieked and he quickened his pace, jogging over to the alleyway where her voice was echoing from, slowing as he rounded the corner. He was silent for a moment, taking in the scene before him, instantly regretting jumping out of bed and rushing to the aide of a woman who clearly didn't need to be rescued.

Norma was pressed against a wall by a sandy blonde man who was kissing her ferociously, his hands sliding down her hips, which were possibly clad in denim. Was Norma wearing jeans? Alex frowned as he watched for a moment, watching as Norma's arms wound around the man's neck, kissing him sloppily, holding onto him hard. He began to feel like a voyeur. Clearly she didn't need rescuing. She was fine. And he was angry, turning on his heel, glad she hadn't seen him, ready to slink back to his car and hoped that she forgot ever calling him.

"Wait... wait. Slow down." She whispered from behind him, and he froze.

"Now baby, you don't get to do this twice in one night." The man shot back and Alex frowned, his hand twitched towards his hip, where his weapon normally was when he was on duty. He didn't have it now though, and it was probably a good thing, since he probably wouldn't have thought twice about firing a round of bullets into the man harassing Norma Bates.

"I..." Norma started, and Alex whirled around, noticing the way Norma had tensed up, her body now rigid against the wall, her hands pressing defensively against the man's chest, who was ignoring her, burying his face against her neck. She squirmed against his touch, shrinking down against the wall, shoving uselessly against him.

"Come on now, baby. Don't be a tease."

"I'm not!" She protested weakly, her voice sounding even more slurred than when she'd spoken to him on the phone, his eyes flitting to the smashed bottle laying in pieces on the floor beside them. "I'm not. I just..."

"Just nothin'." The man said dismissively, his hands grasping at her hips roughly, pushing her hard against the wall, while Norma let out a soft mewl and Alex decided he had seen enough. Norma wasn't having any fun, and he couldn't stand to watch it another second.

"Stop!" He commanded, stepping out from the shadows, watching as both Norma and the stranger flinched, turning to gasp at him. The man's hands remained firmly planted on her rear, and Alex glared for a moment, watching as his hands slid from her body, balling into fists at his sides.

"Norma?" He said quietly, his tone soft and gentle, watching as her dazed expression flitted up to him, looking half horrified for him to see her like this, half relieved to see him. He held an inviting hand out to her, watching as she shoved the man back, taking a shaky, stumbling step towards him.

He lurched forwards, meeting her halfway, wrapping a secure arm around her waist, feeling her struggle to keep herself upright, grabbing onto him heavily for support. His hands grasped hard at the strange, fluffy material of the jacket she was wearing, pulling her securely against him.

"Who the hell are you?" An angry voice came from the darkness and he glared up at the man who looked like an angry toddler who'd just had his toy taken away from him.

Alex glanced down at Norma who had sweetly folded herself into his willing arms, pressing her sleepy face against his chest, allowing him to wrap his arm around her possessively. She looked up at him innocently, her eyes wide and watery, her face streaked with tears and mascara and sadness.

"I'm the fiance." He said finally, hearing Norma gasp against his shirt, his arms tightening around her before he could stop himself. The sandy haired man scoffed, throwing his hands up and fixing Alex with a harsh glare.

"Wow. Ok pal." He chuckled viciously at Alex, gesturing at where Norma was pressed against his chest. "Well, good luck with that."

Alex said nothing, just tightened his jaw and gave Norma a little squeeze, directing her to turn with him, turning to walk away.

"She spent the whole night with me, you know!" He shouted after them, and Alex didn't falter, continuing to lead the unsteady, stumbling Norma away from the alleyway. "I coulda fucked her in my truck and you still wanna marry her?"

"Yeah. I do." Alex shouted back without faltering, hearing Norma breath out a sad little sob against his chest, tripping slightly over nothing, letting him pull her up against him.

He saw her into the passenger seat of his car, avoiding her insistent, curious gaze as he handed her her seat belt and shut the door, before moving to his side of the car, settling in and staring at the steering wheel for what felt like a long time. There was a horrible, sad, shuddering sniffle from next to him, and he glanced at her, watching as she wiped her hand under her nose, sucking in a shaky breath.

"He could not have fucked me in his truck." She clarified suddenly, her voice petulant and angry, and he wanted to laugh, had the situation not been so incredibly depressing.

"Ok." He said simply, turning his attention back to the ignition, pulling away from the parking lot.

"I mean it!" She slurred out, sounding annoyed that he didn't seem to believe her. "He already tried that." She added softly, and his knuckles went white as he gripped the steering wheel hard.

There was a long silence where the muscle in Alex's jaw tightened, staring straight ahead at the road in front of him, his mind swimming with images of what might have happened in the man's truck, pretending he couldn't feel Norma's eyes boring in the side of his face.

"I would never have done that." She said, after a long pause, sounding affronted, like he had said something accusing.

"Ok." He said mildly, slightly confused at her offended tone.

"You don't believe me." She slurred, flopping back in her seat, crossing her arms angrily.

"It's none of my business, Norma."

"You can go to hell, Alex." She muttered fiercely, sniffling as her eyes filled with angry tears.

"Fine. How about the next time you get yourself into this state, you call someone else in the middle of the night to come get you?" He shot back, not being pulled in by the sad little hiccuping breaths coming from the passenger seat.

She didn't say anything for a second, apparently shocked by his harsh words, surprised at how unaffected he was by her tears, staring at him incredulously for a minute. Her despondent silence made him angrier somehow, and he gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath as the car rolled to a stop at a red light.

"Some people might even say thank you, ya know. I didn't have to drive way out here to rescue you from your friend in the alleyway."

He heard her gasp, then sniffle pathetically and felt a flicker of guilt, but he carried on regardless.

"I thought you had more sense than that, Norma, but I guess I-"

He was cut off as she swung the car door open suddenly, stumbling out of the car and slamming the door hard behind her before he could react. He rolled down the passenger window and leaned over as she lurched unsteadily away from the car.

"Norma! Stop it! Get back in the car!"

She ignored him, just continued clicking away from the car, wrapping her arms around herself and haughtily turning her face away from him.

"Norma! I'm not kidding!" He yelled frantically, his eyes darting up to see the lights finally turning green, gliding the car along to catch up with her and slowly crawl along next to her.

"Get back in the car!"

"No!" She screamed and he sighed heavily, speeding ahead a few feet and slamming the brakes on, jumping out and crossing to meet her.

"Get in." He commanded, stepping in her path and pulling the door open for her. She wobbled to a stop and glared up at him, her eyes steely and wet.

"No."

"What are you gonna do? You gonna walk home? Get in the damn car, Norma."

She shook her head defiantly, moving to step around him, frowning when he stepped with her, not letting her pass.

"What? You gonna call your new friend? I think you burned that bridge, Norma." His voice was bitter and exasperated, and her mouth dropped open.

"Go to hell, Alex." She said quietly. "You don't get to judge me." Her words all slurred into one as she leaned in to spit the words at him. "You don't get to talk to me like shit just because you're..."

She trailed off as her eyes widened, biting her lip to cut off what she was going to say.

"Because I'm what?" He said, narrowing his eyes at her, unconsciously stepping closer to her, as she took a step back, her back hitting the back door of the car. She glanced up at him uncertainly as he stared down at her impassively, her expression suddenly nervous as if she'd suddenly realised how much the alcohol was controlling her words.

"Because you're jealous." She said finally, fixing him with a cold, smug glare, pleased when his mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Jealous?" He repeated back to her, and she knew he was just trying to buy himself a moment to think.

She nodded arrogantly at him, leaning back against the SUV, watching as he cast his gaze around with faux disbelief, before flicking his eyes back to meet hers.

He narrowed his eyes, leaning in close, watching as she struggled to keep her expression neutral.

"Of Casanova back there? You really think I wanna fuck a woman so drunk she can barely stand in the back of my truck?" He deliberately used the man's vulgar words again, wanting to shock her, wanting to hurt her, but not really understanding why. She wasn't shocked this time though, her eyes glinting wildly at his words, looking pleased that she had succeeded in getting to him, smirking devilishly at him.

Her hands reached out to lightly grasp the sides of his jacket as she seductively cast her eyes down and then back up at his face, gazing up at him through her lashes. She leaned up on her toes, swaying in close to him.

"No, I think you wanna fuck **me** in the back of your truck." She clarified, and he sucked in a surprised breath. If she hadn't slurred the words so badly at him, he might have been sorely tempted, but instead, he let out a shocked, scandalised little chuckle, taking a step back from her. She frowned at him.

"Jesus christ." He muttered, shaking his head at the ground and then smiling in amazement at her. He leaned over to push the car door open even more, jerking his head towards it. "Get in."

"The front?" She almost pouted, furrowing her brow as she glanced behind her at the back seat, and then back to the open door.

He shook his head in disbelief again, grinning down at his shoes.

"Yes Norma. The front seat."

"Oh."

She eyed him mistrustfully for a second before warily sliding past him to the open door.

"Fine."

A heavy, uncomfortable silence descended on the car as he pulled away from the lights of the city, the weight of what they had both just casually revealed settling upon them.

He could feel her shooting him furtive glances every time they went past a streetlight, the atmosphere in the car now tense and suffocating, keeping his eyes glued on the darkened road ahead, empty now they had left the city.

There was a sudden flurry of activity from next to him and he glanced over to see her struggling to take her shoes off, eventually kicking the high-heeled ankle boots off, not caring as they clunked hard off the footwell of his car. He frowned for a second at the black studded boots, letting his eyes drift up her body as she tucked her denim-clad legs under her, wrapping the strange fluffy jacket more firmly around her.

"What are you wearing?" He blurted out finally, breaking the tense silence of the car.

She looked down at herself, stroking her hands down her thighs, like she wasn't used to feel of denim there, staring down thoughtfully at her outfit.

"They're new." She said simply, looking up to see him frowning at her. She tugged at the scarlett chiffon of her shirt, the pussy bow neckline flapping undone, the buttons dipping dangerously low, making him avert his eyes back to the road.

"You don't look like you." He mumbled eventually.

She took a deep shaky breath, noticing how low her open buttons were dipping and choosing to leave them.

"I don't feel like me either." She replied quietly.

He glanced at her to find her gazing at him strangely, like there were a thousand things she wanted to tell him, but she didn't know how. He just stared back, before it grew to be too much and he turned away again, dragging his eyes away from the azure pools that threatened to drown him.

The silence returned, but it was different this time, crackling with a strange sort of energy that filled the car, making Alex feel jumpy, skittish even, flinching every time she shifted in her seat.

He opened his mouth to speak, with no idea what he was going to say, relieved when she cut him off.

"Where are we going?" She said, a hint of concern in her voice. He frowned, wondering what she thought of him to ask such a question.

"I'm... taking you home?" He queried, his tone slightly patronising.

"No, no, no." She mumbled, straightening her legs out from under her, sitting up in her seat. "You can't take me home!" She said frantically.

"What? Why?"

"I just can't go home." She swayed across the small seat towards him, grasping his arm lightly.

"Norma! Stop! I'm driving here-" He tried to shrug her hand away from his arm, glancing at her in shock as she tearfully gazed at him.

"Please, Alex. Please!"

"Norma-" He whispered, as her fingers dug in desperately.

"Please don't take me home! I'll do anything you want."

He blanched at the implication of her words, screwing his face up in disgust, shaking his head.

"Jesus, Norma..." He mumbled, finally shrugging his arms from her grip, putting the indicators on. "Ok. Fine."

She instantly relaxed, retreating back to her side of the seat, the heat from her thigh sliding away from his.

He drove for a little while longer, watching as Norma glanced around at the route they were taking, frowning as he turned off the road to her house, and then carried on, away from the centre of White Pine Bay.

"Where are we going?" She asked quietly.

He didn't reply, just focused on driving, as the road grew dark and bumpy, his 4 wheel drive becoming necessary as the road seemed to peter off into nothing.

"Aren't we going to your place?" She tucked her knees up to her chest like a child, her voice slightly wary.

"I've got neighbours, Norma. And I'm not convinced you're all done hollering tonight."

She giggled, embarrassed at her earlier drunken tantrum, casting her eyes around the darkened trail once again. They were on something that could only just be called a road, trees encasing their path, the road ahead almost pitch black beyond the reach of the beams.

"Are you taking me somewhere to murder me?" She queried casually, and Alex chuckled softly.

"If I wanted you dead you'd be dead already." He muttered menacingly. "I wouldn't bother driving you all the way out here."

"Charming..." She whispered, but settled back into the seat more comfortably, relaxing back into the chair, her arms stroking up and down her fluffy arms absent mindedly.

"So why can't I take you home?" He said, as they bumped along through the woods towards their destination.

She sucked in a deep breath, hugging her knees to her chest even tighter.

"Dylan and Norman want me to talk to my brother." She choked out and Alex had no idea why she seemed to struggle so much getting such a mundane sentence out.

"Okay...?" He started gently. "I didn't know you had a brother."

"We haven't spoken in a very long time." She muttered bitterly, and he glanced over to see her rub her hand under her nose again, sniffling slightly.

"Why?"

"Because..." She started, floundering for a moment. "Because..."

He cut her off, partly because he could tell she needed it, and partly because they had arrived.

"We're here." He interrupted gently, as the car was suddenly out of the canopy of trees, rolling to a halt at the edge of a cliff top overlooking the whole town. White Pine Bay sprawled out beneath them, looking tiny and fake, lit up like a toy train town.

Her face lit up at the immensity of the view, and Alex couldn't repress the smile at the look of awe on her face.

He slid out of the car, taking a deep breath of the fresh, cold air that always seemed to smell different when you were this high up, crossing around to open her door, drawing her attention back to him.

"Come on." He whispered, jerking his head at her, watching as she gazed down sadly at her uncomfortable shoes. Pouting unhappily at the prospect of putting them back on her swollen feet, she leaned forward, resigned to it, as he rolled his eyes, reaching for her. Before she could protest, he was grabbing her wrists and placing them around his neck, sliding his hands under her knees and around her back, shuffling her off the seat and into his arms. She felt right in his arms, and before he could dwell too much on how much he enjoyed the weight of her slight body against his, he crossed to the front of the car, depositing her on the hood of the SUV with a thump.

She settled her weight, gazing at him in confusion, wondering if he wasn't about to take her up on her earlier prediction of what he wanted from her, their eyes meeting for a second, before he tore his away. He leapt up onto the car beside her, the vehicle groaning and shifting a little in the mud, and she jolted, leaning forwards to gaze over the edge of the cliff in alarm.

"Did you remember to put the handbrake on?"

"That would have been a good idea." He deadpanned, as he leaned back casually, resting his weight on his elbows, taking in the view before them. The harbour twinkled at the edge of the bay, lit up with the lights from huge yachts that were perpetually bathed in light, in case their wealthy owners felt it necessary to take a midnight cruise. The town sprawled out from there, the lights dwindling towards the edge of town, the motel not visible from where they were. Beyond the town, the ocean stretched out towards the horizon, trimmed with dense mountains either side, encasing the reflection of the moon and the stars that seemed impossibly bright from their vantage point up here.

She flopped back against the hood of the car, enjoying the residual heat from the engine, not caring that her hideous new jacket was probably getting ruined from the dirt. She was tired of staring at the town, as beautiful as it was; tired of gazing down at the seedy little community, imagining all the people down there, sleeping and drug dealing and doing whatever the residents of White Pine Bay did in the small hours of the morning. She was tired of thinking of them, and she lay back, gazing up at the stars, her eyes drifting slowly around the inky sky, taking them all in.

She felt him lay back next to her, not touching her, but the act feeling strangely intimate all the same.

"I don't think I've ever seen this many stars." She breathed out finally, after the companionable silence stretched on.

"It's darker up here." He said needlessly, glancing over at her through the gloom. "Damn light pollution. You know they keep the lights on at the marina 24-7? Like Bob Paris is going for 2am fishing trips?" He muttered darkly, and she wasn't sure exactly what made him sound so angry, but she nodded comfortingly all the same.

"Why can't you go back home?" He asked eventually, hearing her breath hitch in the darkness.

"I don't wanna see my brother." She said simply, sounding on the verge of tears again.

"Why?" He couldn't resist asking, desperately wanting to understand, despite hearing the reluctance in her voice.

"Because... he's horrible." She said, in an innocent, childlike voice, and he let his head drop ever so slightly to the side, taking in the way she was gazing up at the stars, her eyes wide and glassy. There was a long silence, when the family-less Alex tried to imagine how horrible her brother could be for her to shun him like this. He was alone, so he could never imagine turning his back on family and he was trying hard not to judge Norma for turning her back on her brother.

"He used to hurt me... when we were kids." Her voice was tiny and fragile and he couldn't help but turn his head to fully stare at her, watching as her eyes drifted shut, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Her phrasing and that sad, horrible single tear made him uneasy without knowing why and he spoke before he could stop himself.

"Hurt you how?" He questioned, knowing he was prying, but somehow needing to know.

She didn't answer, but her hand inched across the hood of the car, skimming the warm metal to brush against his pinky finger. Tentatively, as if she was afraid he would pull away, her fingers crawled across his own, slowly intertwining with his as his own hand responded gently to her touch. He grasped her hand gently, watching as her eyes remained shut, a steady trail of tears glinting in the moonlight as they seeped from under her eyelid.

"He just... hurt me." She said eventually, her eyes flying open, her head flicking to the side to find him staring at her sadly. She shot him a tight, broken smile that told him not to ask any more, and he squeezed her hand back, trying to disguise his horror and pain at her reaction. He couldn't imagine what the real answer was, but the shattered look on her face was enough to hint at her suffering and he wouldn't have pried even if he could have found the words to. He nodded lightly, indicating that he wouldn't ask anymore, and she nodded back, relief flooding her features, her free hand wiping roughly across her face, before she turned back to gaze at the moon.

"It's pretty here." She commented quietly, changing the subject and he was glad to let her, following her eyeline back up to the huge, heavy moon and the smattering of stars surrounding it.

"Yeah."

"Is this where you bring all the girls then?" She said, her tone suddenly playful. "Make out point?"

He rolled his eyes at her suggestion.

"Not for a long time." He replied softly.

She giggled, turning her face to grin at him.

"But you used to, right?" She prompted, before carrying on. "Oh man, I can just imagine it. Teenaged Alex Romero bringing all the girls of White Pine Bay out here to look at the stars. I bet you were quite the lothario!"

She chuckled again, when he just smiled weakly, shaking his head at her.

"Not all the girls. Just the one."

"Who?" She shot back immediately, which was ridiculous, because she wasn't going to know her.

"Jennifer White." The name sounded strange on his lips. It had been so long since he had thought of her.

"First love?" She said quietly, looking away from him into the darkness of the woods around them.

"First everything." He replied honestly, and her fingers twitched, bringing his attention back to where their hands were still entwined, neither of them pulling away, even as the contact grew slightly strange.

She giggled lightly.

"Alex Romero, am I sitting in the spot where you lost your virginity?"

He pressed his lips together, rolling his eyes as she read his silence as all the answer she needed.

"And lemme guess, the rest of the cheerleading squad just followed suit?" She added, giggling, though her tone was strangely bitter, avoiding his gaze still.

He squeezed her hand, determined to set the record straight though he wasn't sure why he cared what she thought of him.

"No. It was just Jen." He said gently, as she finally let her head drop to the side to stare at him.

"I've never brought anyone else here." He said seriously, not realising what he was revealing with his words. "I haven't been up here in... God, twenty years or more. I wasn't even sure I remembered the way-"

He was cut off as she suddenly wriggled across to him, using her grip on his hand to slide herself across, closing the small gap between them and leaning up on her elbow.

"What are you-"

She kissed him suddenly, swooping down to press her lips hesitantly against his, like she wasn't sure what she was doing. After what felt like a long pause, he kissed her back tentatively, his lips responding to hers, his hand slipping from hers to drift to her face, cupping her cheeks gently. Her hand came up to rest against his shoulder, holding herself up as she leaned over him, deepening the kiss, sighing against his mouth.

Her hand slid down his chest, as her tongue swiped into his mouth, sloppily nipping at his bottom lip, and he caught her hand as it reached his abdomen, stopping it on it's path. She tasted like vodka and lime and he reared back suddenly, coming to his senses.

"Norma-"

She cut him off, bumping her lips against his again, her fingers flexing under his hand, grabbing a handful of his shirt, lapping at his lips. He held back, reluctantly kissing her for only a second more, before she scrambled on the smooth surface of the car hood, trying to push herself up across him, her bare foot sliding off the metal, making her collapse in an undignified heap against his shoulder. She was undeterred, even as she slipped again, trying to get purchase to push herself up, trying to fling a denim clad leg across him.

"Norma. Stop." He said gently, firmly grasping both shoulders, pushing her back to look at her, noting her hurt, saddened expression. He sat up, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her up with him. She thought he was just pulling her up into a more dignified position and swayed in to kiss him again, frowning when he swung away from her.

"No, no."

She looked down at her knees, her bottom lip trembling at his rejection, trying to keep the hurt off her face and failing miserably.

"I'm not the cowboy from the bar." He clarified suddenly, leaning in close to whisper the words in her ear. "I'm not gonna touch you when you're in this state."

"I'm fine!" She protested immediately, undermining her own words with a sudden hiccup.

He reached to cup her face gently, his thumb swiping across the wetness that lingered on her cheek, reminding him that she had been crying only moments ago, increasing his resolve not to do this right now. Her eyes fluttered closed as she seemed to realise he was serious, leaning into his touch, her bottom lip trembling slightly again, clearly still taking it personally. He sighed heavily, hating that her feelings were hurt when he was only trying to do the right thing.

He tucked her hair behind her ear before letting his hand drop to her knee, and leaning in close, his lips brushing against her cheekbone.

"When I make love to you-" He started, and she gasped slightly, as his hand slid higher, slinking to the inside of her thigh. "I want you to remember it."

He pulled back to see her staring at him with undisguised desire on her face, her teeth pulling at her bottom lip, her pupils blown wide.

"When?" She echoed back to him, a smug smile playing on her lips. He furrowed his brow in silent question.

"You said when. _When you make love to me._ " He rolled his eyes at her, letting his hand slide from her leg, turning back to look at the view again.

"Ok, well, when... if... Whatever." He mumbled. She giggled brightly.

"Ah but you didn't say if. You really think I'm that much of a sure thing?" She asked playfully, enjoying his discomfort as she teased him.

He jumped down off the car suddenly and her face fell, thinking he was angry with her for a second, before he swung round, hooking his hands under her knees and sliding her to the edge of the car. She gasped, as his hands flew to her ass, and she wriggled in his arms, breathing hard from his unexpected movements, her eyes wide and expectant.

"Yeah. I do." He said simply, leaning in to kiss her again, keeping the kiss gentle and innocent, despite her best efforts to deepen it. Her hands wound around his neck, pulling her body flush against his, wrapping her legs around him to hold him in place. He wrenched his lips away from hers reluctantly, shaking his head lightly at her, before he tightened his grip around her back, sliding her smoothly off the edge of the car and beginning to walk round to the side. He tried not to think about how perfect her thighs felt wrapped around his hips, or the smell of her lavender shampoo where her hair was tickling his face, or the feel of her lips naturally coming to press against his ear lobe as he carried her.

He struggled to open the door and then deposited her gently in the passenger seat, reluctantly unhooking her arms from round his neck. She frowned as she looked at the seat for a moment.

"What are we doing?" She asked expectantly, keeping one hand wrapped in the fabric of his t shirt, not letting him fully pull away. He chuckled, gently untangling her hand from his shirt and taking a step back.

"Not that." He said lightly, and crossed to take his seat in the driver's seat.

"Oh." She breathed out sadly, and he chuckled at her again, shaking his head at her. They both flicked their gaze back to the horizon, where the sky was beginning to lighten, the dawn beginning to tug at the darkness, fading the blackness of the night to a murky blue-grey shade. They watched the sky lighten for a few minutes more, falling into a companionable silence, Alex's hand at the ignition dropping back down to his leg, deciding they were in no hurry. After what felt like an age, the darkness melted away, as the sun appeared from the horizon, beginning it's lazy climb into the sky.

Alex flicked his head to the side, to find Norma sleeping peacefully next to him, her features bathed in the orange and amber of the early morning light. Her hair glowed golden in the light, and he couldn't help but watch her for a moment, thinking what a beautiful mess she looked. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, watching her sleep peacefully, taking in the views as the sun rose steadily, illuminating the perfect-looking town beneath them, before he stifled a yawn, realising they had to move sometime.

He reached across her, trying to silently manoeuvre her seatbelt around her, his fingers brushing against her neck accidentally.

"Mm... no." She murmured, her hand flying to her throat in her sleep, scrabbling to push unseen fingers away from her. He watched her for a second, waiting for her to still, before he slowly pulled the seatbelt across her, having to slink his hand under her thigh to lift it a little, clicking the belt into place.

"Stop." She whispered, shifting away from him in her seat, her hand swatting sleepily at her leg, and his hands immediately left her.

"I'll tell mom." She muttered, barely audibly and he froze again, staring at the side of her face for a long time, trying to make sense of what she'd just said, half afraid to think about it.

His stomach gurgled and he stifled another yawn, realising there was no use dwelling on it now - He couldn't watch her sleep in his car forever. He gingerly pulled away from the cliff edge, before starting back down towards town, driving as slowly and steadily as possible, desperately trying not to jostle the sleeping woman beside him. She didn't stir or move again, and he wondered about how thoroughly exhausted she must have been to sleep through a rough ride through the woods without waking and complaining about anything once.

* * *

"Norma?" He leaned across, gently tapping her cheek, and she frowned, shuffling down a little, unwilling to wake up.

"No." She muttered petulantly in her sleep, crossing her arms more tightly around herself.

"Norma? Wake up." He commanded, and her eyes flickered open a little, peering uncertainly at him.

He stared back impassively, as she glanced down at herself, then back up at him, then out of the window, taking in the parking lot they were sat in.

"Where are we? What are we doing?"

She pushed herself up in the seat, yawning, staring at her surroundings in confusion.

"We're getting breakfast." He announced, swinging open the car door and pausing, waiting as she put her shoes back on, stumbling out of the other side of the truck, blinking in the bright light.

"How long have I been asleep?" She stretched and he averted his eyes from the strip of white stomach that was revealed as she reached for the heavens.

"Coupla hours." He shrugged casually as her mouth dropped open. "You looked like you needed the sleep. I didn't wanna wake you."

She rolled her eyes at his insensitive assessment of her need for sleep, shaking her head to herself as she realised something.

"So... what? You've just sat watching me sleep for two hours?" She quirked an eyebrow at him and he flushed a little at having being caught.

"Surprisingly Norma, no. I had better things to do." He shifted under her intense gaze. "I had Janine email me some case files..." He trailed off, struggling to lie convincingly when she was staring at him with those piercing, dubious eyes.

"Ok." She said brightly, clearly not believing him at all, shaking her messy hair a little and turning to face the small diner.

"Where the hell are we?"

"This is Dellah's. Best pancakes in the state." He announced proudly, turning to the quaint, traditional little diner with a smile. Norma looked at it dubiously, glancing around. The small parking lot was full, despite the diner apparently being on a largely deserted stretch of road. He didn't wait for her to form an opinion before he was taking off at a stride, and she was tottering along after him, tutting and sighing.

"Wait..." She whined, and he slowed his pace, gallantly offering her an arm, wondering how he had got to this point. Five hours ago he'd been tucked up in bed, and now here he was, taking Norma Bates out to breakfast.

"Alex honey!" A voice boomed out as soon as he stepped through the door, a rotund women ambling over to them immediately, winding her ample hips through the narrow gap between the booths.

Norma's hungover brain couldn't quite take the woman's appearance all in, squinting at her as she hurried over to them. She was older, streaks of grey shooting through the shock of dyed, bright red curls that were piled up high on her forehead, her full figure squeezed into a classic 50's style diner uniform, and Norma immediately couldn't imagine anything other style suiting her so perfectly. She peered up at Norma, pushing her horn rimmed glasses up her nose a little, giving her an appraising look.

"Who's your friend, honey?" She trilled, as she grabbed them a couple of menus and signalled for them to follow her through he bustling restaurant.

"Dellah, this is Norma Bates. Norma, this is Dellah." Dellah turned to smile widely at her, letting her gaze drift curiously down her body, nodding her head at an intimate booth in the corner.

"And you two are...?" She started pointedly, raising her eyebrows at them as they slid into their seats.

"Friends. We're friends, Dellah." He said sharply, and she held her hands up, frowning at him, her curls bouncing wildly in their precarious tower.

"Alright, alright!" She said, looking affronted. "You can't blame me for asking. You been coming here for what..? I mean, as long as I could ever remember. And I've never seen you bring anyone."

He made a big show of sighing and rolling his eyes, pretending he couldn't feel Norma's eyes boring into his face from across the table.

"We're friends. Friends go out to eat together." He explained, his tone a warning that Dellah ignored with glee.

"Sure. Sure." Dellah nonchalantly checked her watch, before reaching into her pocket for her notepad and pulling her pencil from behind her ear. "I go out with all my friends at half six in the morning."

Norma snorted from behind her menu, and Alex finally glanced at her, his eyes imploring her to say something. She just stifled her giggle, shrugging at him like she had no idea what he was trying to say to her.

"So what'll it be?"

He snatched the menu out of Norma's hands before she could even look at it, handing it back to Dellah.

"We'll have my usual. Twice."

Norma opened her mouth to protest, but Alex held up a hand to stop her, shaking his head wearily like he was just too tired to argue about it right now.

"Oh, but bring her a side of strawberries." He added, and Dellah and Norma both quirked their heads at him, frowning in confusion.

He didn't notice though, settling back in the booth, not catching Norma's confused look.

"You can't let him call all the shots, hon." Dellah said, shaking her head like Alex wasn't sitting right there. "That way madness lies."

Norma smiled shyly at Dellah.

"Trust me. This is the first and last time."

Dellah grinned, and Alex huffed and crossed his arms, glaring at the table top.

"Can I get a juice aswell please?" Dellah nodded, jotting something on her pad, before starting to turn away.

"Oh, may I have a straw please?" Dellah smiled at her, glancing at Alex.

"She's a sweet one, this one, Alex." He glanced at her, then back at Norma, completely lost for a moment. "You got good taste in _friends._ "

She winked at Norma, before sashaying away.

"A straw? What are you, five?" He said gruffly, obviously trying to ignore all of Dellah's comments and move on.

"I have sensitive teeth." She pouted at him while he rolled his eyes. "So..." She started ominously and he suddenly became very interested with something out of the window. "You brought me to your special breakfast place? I feel honoured." She said, her tone teasing.

"Don't be. Look around. Half the town's here. This place isn't a secret." He said coldly, and Norma giggled brightly.

"Oh did I mishear Dellah then? Cause I thought she said you never bring anyone here?" She asked smugly.

There was a pause, which was answer enough for Norma.

"I prefer to eat alone."

She pulled a fake little grumpy face at him, and he felt his lips quirk a little at the sight.

"Ohhh... alright then. Stay grumpy." She reached for a napkin, freezing as she noticed something, her mouth dropping open.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, catching sight of herself in the reflective side of the napkin holder, grabbing it and holding it up, trying to get a better look at herself.

"Alex!" She almost yelled, and he knew he was in trouble.

"I can't believe you've let me sit here looking like this." She raked her hand through her messy curls, still gazing despondently at her own reflection.

He didn't know how to respond without getting yelled at, so he settled on nothing, just watching as she rubbed uselessly at the dried tracks of mascara that were marring her cheeks. In truth, he'd was distracted by her eyes, like he always was, and hadn't really noticed the rest of her appearance, but now he noticed, Norma was bearing all the signs of a woman who'd drank a 40 in a parking lot and then slept in a car. He pulled an apologetic, guilty face, watching as she scowled at him, rising from her seat and sliding between the tables, angrily stomping to the bathroom.

"Oh jeez." She muttered to herself as she leaned in to peer at herself in the mirror. She looked awful, dark circles of make up and tears marring her undereyes, her hair a mess of tangles, and she glanced down at her outfit. What had she been thinking?

She was rifling through her purse angrily, searching for any kind of makeup she might have with her, when the stall door opened and a pretty woman exited, glancing dubiously at Norma while she washed her hands. Norma felt her eyes on her, as she ran a paper towel under the tap, wiping the black streaks from her face, cleaning herself up.

"Rough night?" The woman piped up, and Norma glanced at her, smiling politely.

"That obvious?" She grinned, her smile fading as the redhead just shrugged, turning back to the mirror and taking out a lipstick, neatening up her impeccable raspberry lip stain. Norma frowned a little, feeling affronted. She felt like it was an unspoken rule to pretend that other woman in the bathroom looked good, no matter what the truth was.

The two woman carried on in a tense, uneasy silence, both touching up their makeup, Norma feeling a wave of triumph with every makeup item she found at the bottom of her purse, nearly crying with joy when she found a tiny perfume tester and a stale stick of gum. She felt the red head's eyes on her and flicked her eyes over in the mirror to find her staring at her, raising one eyebrow.

"Walk of shame?" She said suddenly, fixing a sympathetic smile on her face, and Norma cocked her head, shocked at the woman's judgement. She chucked everything back in her bag with a little more force than necessary, before slinging her purse over her arm and turning to fully face the woman. In her heels, she had a couple of inches on her and she raised herself up to her full height, feeling like she was towering over her as she slowly walked over to her.

A flicker of panic crossed the woman's face as Norma stopped right in front of her, like she was afraid she was going to try and fight her, before Norma smiled, a wide smug grin. She leaned in close, like they were gal pals about the share some big secret in the bathroom.

"It's only a walk of shame if you're ashamed?" She pointed out, pleased as she woman's mouth dropped open, clearly scandalised.

Norma turned back to her reflection, raking her finger through her curls, as the stunned woman flashed her a tight smile before leaving her. She took a few minutes, trying to wrangle her tangles back into some semblance of order, before she exited, stalking back to her table, ready to laugh with Alex over the encounter, stopping in her tracks when she saw the very same woman leaning flirtily on their table, tossing her auburn waves behind her shoulders as she giggled brightly.

She should leave. Just leave. But her feet didn't seem to be obeying, unable to move as she watched this woman flirt brazenly with Alex, her rescuer...

"Rebecca. Come on... Don't do this. It's over." She just about caught his words and felt all the blood rush back into her extremities, feeling a rush of relief. He was trying to get rid of her.

"Alex... Baby..." She cooed patronisingly at him. "It's not over till I say it's over."

Norma cleared her throat before she could stop herself, feeling like it was the perfect moment to announce her presence, sweeping past a shocked looking Rebecca, who was glancing incredulously between Alex and Norma. She pushed past her, taking her seat in front of her food, opposite an incredibly uncomfortable Alex.

"Oh." Rebecca defensively, her tone a challenge. She glared at Norma, straightening up, crossing her arms, before casting her eyes back at Alex. "I see you didn't waste any time."

Alex's mouth opened and closed and he flicked his eyes unsurely to Norma, who considered it for a split second before reaching to stroke her finger tips over the back of his hand where it was laying on the table. If he was at all shocked, he didn't showed it, keeping his face entirely neutral as Norma seductively sucked her lip into her mouth, letting her gaze drift lazily up and down him, before flitting back to Rebecca.

"Like I said, I'm not ashamed." She said salaciously, repeating her earlier words, and Alex frowned a little, wondering what she meant as Rebecca floundered helplessly, her mouth dropping open again.

"Fine." She fixed a fake smile on her face. "Have a great day." She said bitterly, taking off and both of them watched her leave for a minute. Her hand remained pressed over his for a moment longer than necessary, her fingers tracing over the back of his hand for a few more moments, before he was snatching his hand back, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"Er... thanks." He said nervously, casting his eye down at his pancakes.

"No problem." She muttered back, reaching for her fork like nothing had happened.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them as they both started eating.

"Good right?" He said eventually, and he caught her mid bite, smiling at her as she chewed and swallowed, only able to nod for a second.

"Mm hm." She licked syrup off her lip and he cast his gaze down, not wanting to watch her tongue dart out over her lips.

"How did you know I liked strawberries?" She piped up suddenly, spearing a strawberry on her fork.

"I... I notice you always seem to have them in your cart at the grocery store?"

She gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment, chewing her strawberry slowly, frowning gently at him.

"Alex Romero, are you stalking me?"

He tutted.

"I see you there all the time, Norma." He pointed out. He wasn't wrong. They always seemed to be shopping at the same time, her casually disapproving of his basket full of scotch and ready meals. "I'm a police officer. I'm trained to notice things." He added, almost absurdly.

"Oh well.. Thank god the citizens of White Pine Bay have you to notice things like my love of strawberries?" She giggled, stabbing another strawberry and he felt himself smile at her before he could stop himself.

They ate in a companionable silence for a while, occasionally catching each other's eye and looking away shyly. He tried and failed not to smile at her when she ducked her head forwards, her tongue blindly reaching out to grasp at the straw, draining her glass handsfree, like a child.

She met his eye, pulling back and eyeing him curiously.

"What?"

"Nothing." He shook his head, wiping the dreamy smile from his face, embarrassed at being caught staring so sweetly at her.

He paid, gruffly insisting she not get her wallet out, to the delight of the insatiable Dellah, who kept saying "What a gentleman. And for a friend?!" and winking at Norma, who politely smiled back at her.

They were walking back to his car, a slight sense of awkwardness settling over them as they both realised they were going to have to head back to reality, when Norma noticed something, stumbling slightly in shock.

She reached out, taking Alex's hand, fixing a dreamy smile on her face.

"Don't look, ok?" She started, glancing at him pointedly, speaking tensely through her smile. "But your... friend? The red head?"

Alex started, beginning to look around, before Norma tightened her grip on his hand, drawing his attention back to her face.

"I said don't look. She's watching us from her car." She giggled falsely all of a sudden and he tried to rearrange his face into a smile, trying desperately to stop his eyes drifting around the parking lot.

She squeezed his hand again when they reached his car, swinging him around to face her as they reached the passenger door of the SUV. He stumbled as she pulled him close.

"You wanna get rid of her, right?" She clarified, leaning in close, and he could only trust himself to nod, gulping as she glanced up at him coyly through her lashes.

"Well..." She grasped the front of his jacket, her words trailing off as she tugged him close, and then her lips were on his and he could barely breathe, let alone think. He'd kissed her last night, but that was different. He'd been so caught up in the moment, and she was drunk - He had kept that in the back of his mind, holding back, never letting himself go too far. So he wrenched his lips back before either of them could deepen the kiss, his eyes flickering open to stare at her in shock.

"You're gonna have to do better than that if you wanna get rid of-" She was cut off as he suddenly crushed his lips against hers, wrapping his arms around her this time. Her own arm automatically slid inside his jacket, slinking around his back, shuffling forward to press her body against his, as she took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, swiping her tongue hesitantly against his lips.

His hands swept up her spine as he swept his tongue into her mouth, relishing the little soft moan she let out into his mouth. Rebecca was way over the other side of the carpark, inside her car - There was no way that little sound was for Rebecca's benefit.

He pressed her back against the side of the car suddenly, pressing his body against hers and she let out a little gasp.

"Too much." She muttered against his lips, and he pulled back, grinning at her guiltily, watching as she breathlessly smiled back at him. He stepped back, reaching for her door gallantly, and she nodded at him, giggling at the formality of it all as he ushered into the passenger seat, shutting the door softly and rounding his car, not daring to look up for Rebecca's car. He felt a pang of guilt - He never really meant to hurt Rebecca, but he had told her what he wanted when they had started their arrangement. She was the one who decided she wanted more, and wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Thanks." He mumbled as he pulled his seatbelt on.

"You're welcome." She trilled politely, keeping her gaze fixed on her hands as he pulled out of the parking lot. They seemed to drive forever through the light early morning traffic before she started to recognised things, eventually seeing her house appearing in the distance.

"You ok?" He asked quietly, as she gulped and shifted at the sight of it looming at the side of the road.

"I'm fine." She shot back immediately.

"You need me to come in with you? Is this brother of yours dangerous?" He swung into the car park and she glanced around, not seeing any unfamiliar cars waiting for her, breathing a sigh of relief.

"No. I don't think he's dangerous. Not anymore." She said, distracted as she looked around, not noticing his expression darkening at her words.

"I guess I should thank you?" She said, turning in her seat as he turned the engine off, the silence suddenly feeling oppressive. "For being my white knight, I mean."

He smiled at the steering wheel before turning his head to the side.

"No problem Norma..." He said gently, chuckling awkwardly.

"About what happened last night..." He ploughed on, taking a deep breath. He wasn't sure where they stood and he didn't want her to leave this car until they'd figured it out.

"What happened last night?" She asked, cocking her head to the side curiously, and he stared at her in shock. "I don't remember a thing." She rubbed her head across her forehead, wincing slightly. "I remember calling you... and then... the pancake place?" She said, frowning in confusion at the hurt look on his face.

"Why? What happened?" She gazed at him curiously, scrubbing her hand through her hair, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Erm..." Alex was lost for a moment, gazing up at her her house, and then at the steering wheel and then back at her. She was gazing at him innocently, her eyes wide and confused.

"Nothing. Nothing happened." He blurted out, and she grinned at him suddenly, and he realised he'd fallen for her little joke.

She giggled, leaning forwards to press her lips against his suddenly. His hand came up to cup her face gently, still in shock at having being played.

"How could I forget?" She murmured suddenly against his lips, and he groaned lightly, brushing his tongue against her lip, his hand sliding down the side of her throat, heading towards her chest.

She pulled back suddenly, slapping his hand away.

"I'm not that much of a "sure thing", Alex." She said playfully, reaching to grab her purse, leaning forwards to lightly peck his lips again.

"But... you should call me, take me to dinner sometime?" She suggested, beaming at him.

"So you're a "sure thing" as long as I buy you food first?" He joked, rolling his eyes at her.

She nodded, shaking her hair haughtily at him.

"Cause I'm pretty sure I just bought you pancakes?"

She laughed, the sound bright and shrill, and he longed to make her laugh over and over again.

"It's 8 in the morning, Alex. Get a hold of yourself." She tutted at him like she was exasperated, and he mimicked her, smiling as she opened the door and slid from the seat.

"But you should call me sometime?" She reminded him, pausing in the door. "Take me out for real?" She paused, looking shy all of a sudden, shrugging like it was no big deal. "If you want to...?" He nodded gallantly at her, and she shut the door, starting up the steps with a skip.

She was barely at the top, reaching for her keys in her bag, when there was a ringing from inside her house. She rushed to open the door, jogging to get to the ringing phone, answering it breathlessly.

"Hello?"

"Hi." His voice rang out, a smile evident in his tone.

"Oh..." She smiled to herself, feeling like a giddy school girl. "Hey."

"I tried your cell but..."

"I shot it-"

"You shot it-" They both spoke at the same time, both chuckling nervously.

"I did." She confirmed, leaning back against the end table as she listened for his next words.

"You wanna go to dinner with me?"

There was a long pause where she tried to contain her ridiculous smile.

"Can we go to Dellah's?" She giggled down the phone at him.

"I'll take you anywhere you want." He said sincerely, and her smiled dropped a little, replaced with a dreamy little look, taken off guard by his words.

"But I was thinking somewhere a bit nicer?"

There was another pause, where she shook herself at the idea of a good man, a strong, decent kind man, wanting to take her somewhere fancy for dinner.

"Can I wear my fluffy jacket?" She joked.

"No... it's hideous." He deadpanned back at her.

"Oh. Well, now I'm not going." She tutted at him.

"I'll pick you up friday at eight?"

"Fine then." She muttered, like it was all some big chore, and then he hung up, like he always did. She'd stamp that behaviour out of him in no time. She lowered the phone, clutching it against her chest, running her thumb across her lip, feeling giddy at the prospect of a date with Alex Romero.

She glanced down at herself.

"My god. Am I wearing jeans?" She muttered outloud, jogging upstairs, trying to pretend she wasn't scanning her wardrobe for an outfit to wear on her date with Alex Romero.

* * *

 **It's finally finished! My god. I started this about 85 years ago. I just wanted to write something mostly fluffy for once, and with a slightly bittersweet vibe and with Rebecca taken down a peg or two! I don't think anyone requested anything in this, but a few people helped me out tons with this so thank you! You know who you are!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Also, if you're not aware, me and Heldogter are taking part in the FandomTrumpsHate auction on tumblr. She's auctioning a fanart request and I'm auctioning a fanfic request and a podfic request - That's right. For the (current) low low price of $5 you could hear my fumbling, awkward english accent read outloud any of my filthy, smutty fics that you desire? If you're interested, search for #fandom: bates motel within the fandomtrumpshateofferings tumblr. Can't post the link on here, but we shouldn't be too hard to find. It's for a good cause...? Also, I've been practicing reading smut outloud and it turns out to be more awkward than I anticipated. What fun! Haha!**


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